[Teufelhunden]

I purchased a JLD 10 flute PTR91 from a local guy. He said he had fired less than 50 flawless rounds out of it using SA surplus. I have only used Winchester White Box in it and except for the first round, I have had 17 straight FTEs with the brass being crushed, mostly on the front side of the ejection port, and sometimes on the lip of the chamber. After the first six or so, because the brass was so dirty, I gave it a cursory cleaning, and the chamber was filthy. After having the same issues, I gave it a thorough cleaning, and just now I had three more FTEs in a row. With the exception of the first round I ever fired, every round has been a FTE. When I hand cycle the weapon, the extracted rounds do not eject, instead staying hooked on the bolt face under the extractor.

I am not sure this has anything to do with my issue, but in this first picture the bolt is locked back. You can see a approximately 1/8 inch gap between the extractor and the top of the slot in the bolt;

I can push the extractor all the way up into the slot, but it springs back when I remove pressure. One thing I noticed when I pull the bolt back, approximately 1 inch from the bolt lock position the extractor is all the way up in the slot, and then when it reaches the bolt lock position, the extractor moves down into the position shown in the picture.

I will add that the bolt locking lever spring is EXTREMELY strong, and I cannot even depress the lever with a brass punch. This makes taking the bolt a part a reassembling it extremely difficult. Also, and not sure if this is related, but unlocking the cocking lever is pretty difficult.

This picture shows the extractor location when the bolt is about an inch from being in the bolt lock position. I am holding the handle in this position. You can see the extractor is all the way up in the groove;

This picture just shows me hand cycling the rifle with a bullet stuck on the bolt face. The bolt is locked back;

Here's my typical FTE;

Here's a couple of pictures of my crushed brass. The first picture is prior to a thorough cleaning of the rifle, the second after the cleaning. In the second picture the casing on the right was actually jammed between the buffer tube and the bottom of the bolt;

Here is a couple of pictures of my bolt, and one of the trigger group;

I can supply any other pictures required. And I appreciate the help.

 

[bitsy]

I can't see the area very well, but is the extractor spring head riding up out of its notch area in the extractor?
If so, you should be able to push it back in so the head of the spring is flat in the notch/cutout.

 

[Aeroshep]

Bingo I had the same problems exactly with BOTH of my brand new PTRs. Two issues to look at. One, the bolt locking lever spring. I removed it and compared it to a REAL HK spring and it was too long by 1/16" inch or so. I cut a little off to shorten it, and it works great. Second, on the ammo, have you noticed the fluting marks on the casing? When I had this problem, I tried russian brass, Leiller and Belloit (sorry for spelling errors), Winchester, Remington, and then a high end ammo. ALL (five) BRASS JAMMED! My steel casings did NOT jamb. I then noticed that the brass casing seams to overexpand. I called the manufactorer and their engineer told me on the phone that the fluting was designed to shoot steel only, and since the casings are not as soft, they hold their shape better. I hated to go to all steel on my PTR, but ever since I did NO JAMBS. This is PTR, I have not had these problems on any other clones or HKs. BTW, HKparts has a small clamp for removing the bolt locking lever, worth every penny. Get one just to have even if you do not need it. Let me know how everything turns out for you. Hope I have been some help.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

My PTR 91 shoots all brass ammo I've tried (including my handloads) perfectly.. no brass damage, just light flute marks

 

[Teufelhunden]

Thanks for all your advise. I am going to try and find some other ammo this weekend to make sure that is not the issue. Extractor spring (did you mean ejector spring, that is what i should have said). Does anybody know if PTR will honor JLD's warranty? Is it the same company?

 

[JTinIN]

The extractor should not move with finger pressure and a typical failure point if something goes wrong is the extractor spring bending. This in turn results in ejection issues as the ejector hits the fired brass case and the fired case pivots on the extractor to be tossed out of the gun ... more or less ;-). While this may not be your issue, always a good idea when trouble shooting a HK roller lock rifle or clone to start with a clean gun, check the bolt gap and before anything else check the extractor movement / spring (i.e. should be no bends in the tail).

Photo of extractor spring and extractor "borrowed" from Robert RTG

 

[seasmoke]

Your extractor spring does appear to be damaged from the jams. HK91 G3 Extractor and Extractor Spring, PTR91 Extractor and Extractor Spring, RTG Gun Parts German Rifle Extractor Spring, HK91, G3 Extractor spring, HK 93, 33 extractor spring - HKPARTS.NET worth having a couple on hand.
Also, the extractor and extractor spring are part of the bolt-head. The ejector rides up into the slot in the bolt-head. Your ejector appears to be a little low. Make sure you use a brush to clean the chamber flutes as some of the SA ammo is tar sealed. Both my CETME and C93 love the steel cased ammo(and brass too!)

 

[bystok]

try a bunch of different ammo....I have a clone G3k (non-German barrel) and it feeds everything BUT Privi Partisan .308.....FTE almost everytime.....PTR barrel spec could be off a few thousanths and make it sensitive to certain ammo specs.....try a bunch and report back before you got changing a bunch of springs and other parts

 

[JTinIN]

try a bunch of different ammo....I have a clone G3k (non-German barrel) and it feeds everything BUT Privi Partisan .308.....FTE almost everytime.....PTR barrel spec could be off a few thousanths and make it sensitive to certain ammo specs.....try a bunch and report back before you got changing a bunch of springs and other parts

Another good idea (I would still have an extra extractor spring for $10 ... but I keep them in stock and shall we say have more than one HK ;-). Would be real interesting to find out if SA works in the gun ....

Have a few cases of SA, but not sure how a private person ship ammo or would offer to send a box of 20 for testing?

 

[bystok]

always have spare extractor springs!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Teufelhunden]

I want to emphasize that when I was saying I moved the extractor with my finger, I was actually talking about the ejector. All the references to 'extractor' in my first post should be 'ejector'.

JTinIN; thanks for the offer but can't send ammo in the mail, only FedEx or UPS. I will dig some up, first place I have checked did not have anything except high end match ammo.

 

[JTinIN]

I want to emphasize that when I was saying I moved the extractor with my finger, I was actually talking about the ejector. All the references to 'extractor' in my first post should be 'ejector'.

JTinIN; thanks for the offer but can't send ammo in the mail, only FedEx or UPS. I will dig some up, first place I have checked did not have anything except high end match ammo.

If I can ship UPS (not sure on regulations for the average Joe) ( can send out a couple boxes this week to test with, just PM me with an address.

 

[ptalar]

Does anybody know if PTR will honor JLD's warranty? Is it the same company?

I had FTE issues with my PTR91 that had the incorrectly fluted barrel. I tried to get the barrel replaced under warranty but PTR has some smoothie customer service rep say I needed to wear in the gun and only use certain ammo. I ended up replacing the barrel on my nickel for $450. I replaced it with an FMP barrel from Germany. Great shooter now. Too bad PTR touts their lifetime warranty but when you try to collect they find every excuse in the book not to replace the barrel. Last PTR for me.

 

[BANGER53]

Agree with BLITZ on this one. If everything is right with gun ANY ammo should shoot and eject.

 

[BANGER53]

ptalar,
You must have gotten the same SMARMY [email protected]@ H()#, so called Customer Service guy I got.
Love my guns now but will not ever buy another PTR (have purchased 3 NEW).
Next will be original HK or GHILLIE built gun.
Should have kept the HK's I had in the 80's but got greedy when prices went way up in mid 90's.
Live and learn!!

 

[ts160]

I guess i got lucky. My PTR KPF has shot everything i have put through it. The guys at the shop laughed when i asked them for their cheapest, filthiest ammo. Accurate as hell too. Have already taken a couple good size hogs with it. That is with using the sights. Have not got around to scoping it yet.

 

[Jim234]

I have one of the older PTR-91 rifles from when they were called JLD enterprises, that thing has eaten every type of ammo that I have thrown at it (I've never tried Steel ammo in it before). One note is that the PTR rifles sometimes have hit or miss quality and sometimes you get ones that are perfect and sometimes there are ones that have some issues that are hard to fix.

 

[ptalar]

ptalar,
You must have gotten the same SMARMY [email protected]@ H()#, so called Customer Service guy I got.
Love my guns now but will not ever buy another PTR (have purchased 3 NEW).
Next will be original HK or GHILLIE built gun.
Should have kept the HK's I had in the 80's but got greedy when prices went way up in mid 90's.
Live and learn!!

Live and Learn is right. I am having another HK91 clone built by one of Ghillie's colleague's who Ghillie referred me to out in the People's Republik of Kalifornia. Beltfed Precision did the rebarrel on my PTR91 and did an excellent job. They are also building a wood stocked retro looking HK91 clone that I am going to give to my son.

 

[Aeroshep]

Sounds like maybe I need two new barrels as well. Heck with i, ill shoot steel for now and spend my next buck on real HK.

 

[JTinIN]

Teufelhunden - Test ammo in the mail see IM for tracking number.

Will be interested if the SA works or if something has changed since the rifle worked for the previous owners (will stay away from the other option of never working, at least for now). If the SA does work, then the next step is to see if something like Portuguese works (almost sent you a box of that also) as there is still one or two companies selling linked, tarnished or lose (maybe tumbled is always a possibility) Portuguese. Other options are see if you can get some type warranty work (possible at a nominal charge) or get a new barrel installed at half the cost of the rifle (?).

Keeps up in the loop and will be interested to see how this turns out.

P.S. Had not shipped anything by UPS for a long time as always used the flat rate boxes from the USPS, at half the shipping cost or less of UPS, will continue to do so for non ammo items!